Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

A31
PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 11 March 2020
Barbara Neely, creator of black female

sleuth series, dies

By MARK KENNEDY includes 1992's "Blanche on es including French, Czech,
AP Entertainment Writer the Lam," 1994's "Blanche German and Japanese.
NEW YORK (AP) — Award- Among the Talented Tenth," She was included in 2012's
winning mystery writer Bar- 1998's "Blanche Cleans Up" "100 American Crime Writ-
bara Neely, who created and 2000's "Blanche Passes ers" by Steven Powell.
the first black female sleuth Go." They push past mys- "She was an inspiration, a
series in mainstream Ameri- tery into political and social trailblazer and a remark-
In this Oct. 1, 2018, file photo, moderator Alex Trebek speaks in can publishing, died March commentary, like tackling able talent and voice
Hershey, Pa.
Associated Press 2 after a brief illness, ac- violence against women, whose loss is deeply felt,"
cording to her publisher, racism, class boundaries Mystery Writers of America
‘Jeopardy!’ and ‘Wheel of Brash Books. She was 78. and sexism. "If Toni Morrison said in a statement follow-

Fortune’ to tape, sans audiences Neely is perhaps best wrote murder mysteries, ing her death. "Her talent
known for her four-book they would probably read and memory will live on
Blanche White series, which a bit like Barbara Neely's," forever in her wonderful
By LYNN ELBER ing Race” in response to had at its center a nomad- the women's general-inter- books."
Associated Press the outbreak. The shows ic amateur detective and est website Bustle said in Neely was born in 1941 in
LOS ANGELES (AP) — tape months in advance, domestic worker who uses 2015. Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
“Jeopardy!” and “Wheel so the presumably quieter the invisibility inherent to Her White had an uncom- She attended the Univer-
of Fortune” will tape with- shows will not immediately her job as an advantage in mon eye for detail and sity of Pittsburgh, where
out studio audiences in re- be noticeable to viewers pursuit of the truth. interpretation. Early in she earned her master's
sponse to the ongoing virus at home. Both are filmed "I realized the mystery "Blanche Among the Tal- degree. She worked on
outbreak. at a studio in Culver City, genre was perfect to talk ented Tenth," White sees behalf of women released
A person close to the shows California. For most peo- about serious subjects," she a magazine picture and from prison and as a radio
tells The Associated Press ple, the new coronavirus told Ms. Magazine in 2000, thinks something is amiss. "It producer.
Monday that the move causes only mild or moder- "and it could carry the po- wasn't natural for a picture She also had positions at
is being taken out of an ate symptoms, such as fe- litical fiction I wanted to of black people in a pub- the Institute of Social Re-
abundance of caution giv- ver and cough. For some, write." lic place to all be the same search and was executive
en the spread of the new especially older adults and Neely was named the 2020 complexion, unless some- director of Women for Eco-
coronavirus in numerous people with existing health Grand Master by the Mys- body wanted it that way." nomic Justice.
communities in the United problems, it can cause tery Writers of America. In "Blanche on the Lam" won Neely published her first
States and abroad. The more severe illness, includ- announcing the honor last the Agatha Award, Antho- short story, "Passing the
source spoke on condition ing pneumonia. year, the association de- ny Award, and the Macavi- Word" in the magazine Es-
of anonymity to describe The vast majority of people scribed Neely as "a ground- ty Award for best first novel, sence in 1981. It took her
the decision. recover from the new virus. breaking author" who as well as the Go on Girl! more than a decade to
The popular gameshows According to the World "tackles tough social issues Award from Black Women's become an established
are the latest television Health Organization, peo- with an unflinching eye Reading Club. author. Her other works in-
project to shift plans due ple with mild illness recover and a wry sense of humor." Her series has been trans- clude "Among the Talent-
to the new coronavirus. in about two weeks, while The Blanche White series lated into several languag- ed Tenth: A Novel."q
Last week, CBS announced those with more severe ill-
that it was suspending pro- ness may take three to six
duction on “The Amaz- weeks to recover.q Poland sets date for Frederic Chopin

Western art museum piano competition

in Montana postpones By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA be postponed until Sep- the competition live on
exhibition, auction Associated Press tember if a large number www.chopin2020.pl and
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — of those who qualified watch the finals from Oct.
Culture authorities in Po- were unable to come to 18-21 in special fan zones
GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — ple, the new coronavirus land said Monday that Poland in April. in New York, London,
A Western art museum in causes only mild or moder- the 18th edition of the in- A total of 164 pianists Paris, Tokyo, Budapest,
Montana has postponed ate symptoms, such as fe- ternational Frederic Cho- from 33 nations including Moscow, Jerusalem and
its annual exhibition and ver and cough. For some, pin piano competition will from Asia, Europe, North Seoul.
fundraising auction due to especially older adults and take place Oct. 2-23 in America and Australia will The winner will receive a
coronavirus concerns while people with existing health Warsaw. perform before a jury at gold medal and a 40,000-
other events during West- problems, it can cause Eliminations for the com- the Chamber Hall of the euro ($45,000) prize.
ern Art Week in Great Falls more severe illness, includ- petition, which is famous Warsaw Philharmonic in The competition began in
will take place. ing pneumonia. The post- for launching world ca- the qualifications for the 1927 and was postponed
C.M. Russell Museum exec- poned events include the reers for its laureates, will fall event. from 1937-49. It has been
utive director Tim Figarelle Russell Western Heritage be held April 17-28 in War- The only time that the held every five years
said Monday the event Awards on March 18, the saw and select around 80 dates of the eliminations since 1955, and is known
brings art enthusiasts from preview party for the Rus- pianists who will compete were extended to allow for drawing international
around the United States sell auction on March 19 in the fall. participants to attend crowds and launching
and Canada to Great Falls. and auctions on Friday and Addressing concerns over was in 2010, when ash its laureates to stardom.
Organizers are postponing Saturday. the spread of the coro- from a volcano eruption Among its winners are
the museum's activities dur- "Safeguarding the health navirus, the head of the in Iceland temporarily Argentina’s Martha Arg-
ing next week's Western Art of our treasured friends organizing National Fred- grounded planes, making erich, Italy’s Maurizio Polli-
Week as a precaution. and our hometown is the eric Chopin Institute, Ar- air travel impossible over ni, Garric Ohlsson from the
No coronavirus infections utmost priority with our de- tur Szklener, said that the Europe. U.S. and Poland’s Krystian
have been reported in cision," Figarelle said in a eliminations would only Fans will be able to follow Zimmermann. q
Montana. For most peo- statement. q